The Hobbit

Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all.

Everything is great...except the songs!!

The Hobbit is an all time favorite. Great narrating too...except for the singing!! Dear God, I've never heard such tone-deaf, tuneless singing. Tol..Show More »kien's songs have such beautiful lyrics, and can be read as poetry. I wish the narrator would have taken that approach.

The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of 13 dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.

Enchanting children's tale, beautifully read

Superb! One of the classic children's fantasy tales, set in a rich and enchanting world of dwarves, goblins, wizards, elves, and dragons, along with t..Show More »he most unlikely of heroes, Bilbo Baggins the hobbit.

The recording is beautifully done. Rob Inglis's voice is pleasant and relaxed, and he reads at a leisurely and comfortable pace. The character voices are generally appropriate and varied, although some of the dwarves were not what I expected. Most surprising of all, Inglis actually SINGS the songs, giving an extra touch of character and authenticity.

A word of caution: While the story is set in the same world as the Lord of the Rings and relates events a generation earlier, this is not merely a prequel in the same style. This is a fun children's tale, written for a younger readership.

To be read before you have lost your childlikeness, and reread many times to keep regaining it.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between the powers of good and evil.

Not enjoying the narrator

I love this story for it's timelessness, and I love seeing how other stories across the decades have been inspired by it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: The Ring Sets Out

Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the first part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, available as a complete and unabridged audiobook. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

A joy to hear

The reader has done a marvelous job. I had struggled through the book many years ago and had eventually, after persevering for several years (!) reach..Show More »ed the end, but this book tripped through my headphones like sweet music.
In fact that is one of the aspects of the book that I most enjoyed. The reader does a marvelous job of singing the many songs that are recounted in the book and, instead of simply seeming a way to pad out the story, they become an intrinsic part of the narration. For this aspect of the audiobook alone I would highly recommend this title!

The Two Towers: Book Two in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Two Towers is the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship has been forced to split up. Frodo and Sam must continue alone towards Mount Doom, where the One Ring must be destroyed. Meanwhile, at Helm’s Deep and Isengard, the first great battles of the War of the Ring take shape. In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien’s great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe - hobbits, elves, and wizards - spring to life. Rob Inglis’ narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

One Book to Rule Them all

I think the second book is the best. Thanks Audible for making it available, it has taken over my commute.

The Two Towers: The Lord of the Rings, Book 2

Building on the story begun in The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, this is the second part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, available as a complete and unabridged audiobook. Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom.

third book of the series

Audible have divided LOTR into six separate audiobooks. They aren't really separate books, but sections of the same book, so you need to read them in ..Show More »order, they won't make sense otherwise. This is the third book. (Start with "Fellowship of the Ring book 1")

Rob Inglis has a very traditional english voice and reads in a very measured way. I am a fan of Tolkien, and enjoy this reading, but if you have only seen the films, you may find it a bit slow.

The Return of the King: Book Three in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Return of the King is the towering climax to J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy that tells the saga of the hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. In this concluding volume, Frodo and Sam make a terrible journey to the heart of the Land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron. In addition to narrating the prose passages, Rob Inglis sings the trilogy’s songs and poems a capella, using melodies composed by Inglis and Claudia Howard, the Recorded Books studio director.

Finally!

I've listened to Fellowship and Two Towers on audiobook by the same narrator, and I had been trying to find Return of the King on CD from a bunch of d..Show More »ifferent libraries and no such luck- but now it's finally here!

Rob Inglis does a wonderful job as the reader, and gives the characters their own voice. I've read the books before and enjoyed them, so I knew that I would like this story- but if you have never read the books before then I definitely reccomend listening to this version. :)

The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings, Book 3

Concluding the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the final part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, available as a complete and unabridged audiobook. The armies of the Dark Lord Sauron are massing as his evil shadow spreads ever wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to do battle agains the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring.

Inglis sounds like Tolkien!

As far as I know, this is the only unabridged reading of LOTR, so if you want unabridged this is the one to go for! (if you want abridged, try the BBC..Show More » full cast dramatisation).

Rob Inglis has a very traditional english voice - similar to Tolkien's own. He reads in a very measured way. Not only does he read the entire book (apart from the appendices), he also sings all of the songs. I think that he suits the reading, but I find sometimes he doesn't differentiate the characters enough, and the pace is not fast. I also find that he makes the hobbits a bit too "yokel" (rural english accent) for me.

That said, I enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it. The only thing to be aware of is that Audible have divided it into six separate audiobooks, so to listen to the whole of LOTR, you are going to have to buy them all.